Clone
by Kuja's Swan
Summary: Suppose there was more than just the flow of souls... (Final Fantasy 9, Inu-Yasha) (Contains spoilers)
1. Prologue

DISCLAIMER: Dun own Final Fantasy, nor do I own Inu-Yasha~ Nope. No money~

'Clone' - Prolouge

Kuja Tribal quickly awakened from his restless slumber, his thin body drenched in sweat.  
  
He lay back down, whipeing the uncomfortable sweat off of his forehead, and took in deep breaths, though he still felt sick to his stomach.  
  
The silver-haired man closed his eyes, mind not being able to block out the horrible dream that replayed the tragic and unexpected deaths of his beloved wife and beautiful daughter.  
  
_Silver-green feathers lay scattered across the desert ground, some broken, and, others, stained with blood._  
  
A tear slid from the corner of Kuja's eye.  
  
Somewhere, in a world of dark, watercolor blue, two white figures streamed across a groundless sky like ghosts.


	2. Words That We Couldn't Say

DISCLAIMER: Same as b'fore~ Iifa-chan belongs t' me~

Chapter One~

Zidane Tribal quietly finished reading the grave letter from his older brother, slipping the light brown paper back into a fold, golden-brown tail tightening around his ankle.

"Zidane~?"

Garnet asked as she entered the room, sitting beside him on the large, curtained bed, instantly recognizing her mate's discomfort.

"...Kikyou and Iifa are gone."

"You don't mean..."

"They're dead."

The dark brown-haired queen raised both her hands to her perfectly shaped face, a feeling of horror washing over her, for she had always been fond of Kikyou and Iifa.

The two sat in silence, unsure of what to say, until the blonde stood up.

"I'm going to visit Kuja."

Garnet only nodded, knowing how much he loved his brother, and seemed to get lost in thought for a moment.

"I'm going, too. Kikyou and I were such good friends."

She then thought of how Kuja must've felt, finding it incredibly hard to sympathize with him, for he was the one who took control over the great Dragon King known as Bahamut after he had been summoned, sending the Eidolon to destroy the entire Alexandrian fleet and her adoptive mother along with it, in which he succeeded.

Zidane almost looked as if he were about to protest, but he then nodded, knowing that his beautiful Dagger would not change her mind.

The golden-haired Genome sat and wrapped his arm around Garnet's waist, she leaning into him.

"...I hope you can handle it."

Zidane found himself wondering if he too could handle it, remembering how warm and happy his dear brother's blue crystals of eyes where the last time he saw him, which will probably be, again, icey and distant the next.


	3. Is it real?

DISCLAIMER: Same as b'fore~ Iifa-chan ish mine~

Chapter Two~

__

The Silver Dragon watched on contently, laying comfortably on it's side, as Kikyou and Iifa Tribal took a quick look at the small patch of flowers before returning to the Desert Palace where they lived.

Mother and daughter were finished and just about to mount the reptile when it suddenly stood up on all four legs, long, wrinkled neck stretched to it's full length, beak-like snout turned skywards, making sharp, hawk-like motions with it's head.

Young Iifa was about to ask it what was wrong when the beast wailed, shaking it's head violently, raising up on it's hind legs and bringing itself down with full force.

Kikyou instinctively grabbed her daughter by the shoulders, cursing herself for not bringing her bow and arrows.

"Iifa~! Go to Conde Petie as fast as you can~!"

"M-mommy..."

"Go~! And don't look back~!"

The small, black-haired girl hesitated for a second, and then took off for the large structure not far from where they were.

The Silver Dragon, drool dripping from the sides of it's mouth, however, took this as an offending move, and raised itself into the air with one powerful pump of it's wings, flying as fast as Silver Dragons go.

"IIFA~!"

Kikyou raced after the two, but it was too late.

The dragon made an attempt to pick up the young half-Genome, only succeeding in sharply raking her back, leaving a large gash.

Kikyou found herself screaming, running up to her fallen daughter and quickly scooping up the girl's limp body, pressing it close to her chest.

She never had time to run off to Conde Petie for help, or shed tears, for the dragon had made a u-turn, and bit right into Kikyou's shoulder, exactly where her old injury was.

The ex-priestess gasped in pain, and bent over in agony as the lost souls of maidens and the deceased of Gaia took their chance to exit her body.

Kikyou then fell over on her side, lifeless daughter still in her arms, and closed her blank eyes forever.

As for the dragon, it had landed not far from the canyon Conde Petie had been built on, and in an uncontrollable frenzy, forgot it's feathered wings and threw itself over the edge, crushing it's skull and snapping it's neck when it hit bottom.

Kuja shook his head, trying his hardest to erase the clear memories of the sendings he had received from the dragon's crumbled body, and raised his slender hand up to his head, as if he had a headache.

The full Genome opened his eyes just in time to see the monk, Miroku, bend down in front of the two mounds of dirt in which Kikyou and Iifa were buried, in front of the great Iifa Tree they so loved to visit.

Kuja then took a breath, much like a sigh, unable to take one look at the two mounds that wrenched his heart whenever he looked at them or even thought about them, nor was he able to take even one glance at the Iifa Tree, feeling as if all of Gaia were watching him.

"_...Why must I go through this~?_"

Zidane, who stood between his beloved Garnet and Kagome, had been watching Kuja the entire time since they had arrived, felt a wrench in his heart as well.

And, as if that weren't enough, Kagome, Kikyou's 'sister', couldn't help but notice how very silent her mate, Inu-Yasha, had been since they received the news. Of course, now that she thought about it a bit, the white-haired halfbreed never seemed to be too happy about his former lover - Who he, sometimes, acted like he still had feelings for - Falling in love with and marrying a man he didn't know one thing about, not to mention having a daughter who looked exactly like her mother, with the exception of a black, silver-tipped tail and two silver feathers, which she had gotten from her father.

__

"...Which annoys him even more."

The black haired teenager took a look at her mate, who's eyes were pensive and somewhat sorrowful, their golden gaze never leaving the larger mound.

It seemed Miroku was the only one who didn't seem too upset, though he was just as discontent as everyone else.

After the small 'funeral' - The real one had already taken place - Zidane had asked if he could be alone with his older brother for a while.

The blonde Genome closed the door as quietly as he could, and took the few steps he was comfortable taking towards Kuja, who was listlessly gazing out the window in his room in which they both stood.

Zidane was about to say something when Kuja gracefully turned to meet him, silver-white feathers glittering in the sunlight, body language telling his younger sibling that he was awaiting whatever he had to say.

Taken a bit by suprise, and still not sure of what to say, Zidane took a breath.

"Kuja, I... I'm terribly sorry about Kikyou and Iifa..."

The Genome then caught himself, remembering the time before Kuja's ruthless attack on Alexandria with the enslaved Bahamut, when he was to speak to Garnet before her coronation, not being able to say anything without feeling as if he were lying to himself, and found himself in that very same spot again.

Kuja stared him in the eye for a bit, and then turned back towards the cloud-filled blue sky, suddenly feeling very mentally tired.

"I don't want your sympathy, brother. If you've nothing else to say, then I suggest you leave now."

The silver-haired Genome stated, rather coldly, and ended up looking down towards the ground.

"_Aw, dammit... I should've known he would act like this._"

"...If there was anything I could do, Kuja, I'd do it."

"Well. What a coincidence, my dear brother. I was just contemplating how I could have prevented their deaths by setting my dragon free."

"How could you have known~?"

"..."

"Kuja..."

Kuja started to feel a mixture of sorrow, confusion, and a touch of guilt, one part of him regretting his two earlier statements, the older part of him calling in the back of his mind, the merciless killer he once was, not giving a damn.

"...I'm sorry, Zidane."

Zidane was silent.

"This is all so sudden... Not once have I lost something so dear to me..."

It was then that the taller man felt a hand on his armored shoulder.

"I don't blame you for feeling the way you do."

Kuja turned to Zidane, and collapsed into his younger brother's arms, tears streaming down each side of his heart-shaped face.

"Such irony... I meet this beautiful woman, and start a completely new life with her, even succeeding in having a child... And it's all gone in a flash."

Zidane began to stroke his brother's hair, gently, and didn't even dare bring up a certain night at the beach near the Ancient Tree of Life he was being reminded of.


	4. Fukai Mori

DISCLAIMER: See previous chapters~

Thanks fer the reviews~ :3

Chapter Three~

There was a light tap at the window Kuja had been looking out the other day.

When the curtains of the bed inside the window did not open or even stir, the tap grew a tad louder and repeated itself.

The Moogle hovering outside the window began to grow impatient and tapped as hard as it's little paw could.

"Kupo~!"

Finally, to the Moogle's delight, the curtains began to move, and exited a tall, slender, silver-haired man dressed in nothing but a thong, silver tail uncurling from his ankle.

When the man opened the window, the Moogle flew back in a bit of an excited manner.

"You have a letter, kupo~!"

The man was quite sleepy, and looked somewhat annoyed, though neither did anything to his beautiful round face.

"At this hour~?"

The Moogle nodded, it's red bonbon moving up and down with it's head, and then flew to the edge of the window and removed the small backpack, using it's tiny wings for balance.

"I was told it was an emergency and had to be rushed to you right away. Kupo."

The Moogle replied, putting a little emphasis on the word 'I', as if it were proud of itself for being chosen to send such an important message.

The man was not impressed, however, he was now incredibly interested in the letter the Moogle was taking out of it's pack and handing to him.

__

Kuja,

Please go out of your way to visit the Black Mage Village. It's the other Genomes. Thank you.

-Mikoto

Kuja read the letter twice, curious as to what his younger sister meant by 'It's the other Genomes', and folded it.

"_She never did fully explain herself._"

The Silver Genome then looked up at the Moogle, who acted as if it had won a contest and where expecting some sort of prize.

"Did you, my little Moogle, notice anything out of the ordinary while you where at the village~?"

"Looked fine, kupo."

"I see... Well..."

Kuja then turned and made his way to the desk where he either wrote or sketched, and returned with a fist-sized, brown, circular object.

"...For your trouble."

The Moogle opened it's eyes momentarily, and gladly took the Kupo Nut from his hand.

"Thank you~! Kupopo~!"

And, with that, the little, furry creature flew back in the direction from which it came, munching happily on it's gift as it went along.

Kuja would have been smiling if he hadn't been worried about his fellow Genomes, or if he hadn't been thinking about his wife and daughter.

Despite how much he wanted to lay back down and go to sleep, Kuja bathed and put on his armor, thigh-high boots, and hakama, quite disturbed by how whatever problem the Genomes where having started up after his Silver Dragon went berserk.

And he was then reminded of Kikyou and Iifa, which only brought back the terrible pain of loss.

Elsewhere, in the seemingly gloomy and forbidden city of Burmecia, The Realm of Eternal Rain, Freya Crescent, Royal Dragon Knight and hero of her birthplace, stood at the very top of the Burmecian Palace, the highest point in the city, lance clasped tightly in her white paw.

"...The skies are ominous once again."

With that, she leaped effortlessly off the palace, thunder rolling in the distance.

Kuja stood on the balcony of the first ever Hilda Garde, the wind blowing his still-wet silver hair, giving him a bit of a chilly feeling on his head, the desert-like continent with few forests and even fewer grass plains spreading itself out below him, surrounded by the sparkling blue sea.

If this airship had been like the one at the small village known as Dali he had seen those long five years ago, he wouldn't have had it on auto-pilot and wouldn't be enjoying such a wonderful view. It was the only thing currently keeping his mind off the deaths of Kikyou and Iifa.

Though, that feeling of never seeing them again managed to squirm its way into his chest, and the pleading letter made him feel sick again.

The airship drew closer to the large, dying forest, and Kuja found that he wasn't the only one who had received a letter, for another airship lay beside the small village.

"_That only makes things more serious. Oh, dear._"

The Genome landed the small ship in a clearing beside the other airship, which looked much like the theater ship he had seen fly off into Evil Forest that wonderful night that turned chaotic, years ago when Brahne was still alive and ruled over Alexandria.

Kuja strolled through the light-brown forest, still grateful that no more Mist monsters lurked between it's trees and lashed out at any who passed, listening to the calming sounds of smaller creatures chirping, chittering, and hooting.

The hooting grew louder as he entered the village, an owl flying from it's perch on a crooked branch.

One of the black mages greeted Kuja as he came into view, voice friendly, though his yellow, unblinking eyes burned with caution as he guided his former master to the inn.

Kuja noticed, with a small mix of nervousness and fear, how fewer Genomes, his people, where out.


	5. Tribe

DISCLAIMER: Same as b'fore~

Chapter Four~

Kuja was lead into the inn by the black mage, and was greeted by his youngest sibling, Mikoto, who was already standing, hands clasped politely in front of her.

"Good morning, brother."

And, as if remembering her manners, she bowed in an exaggerated manner, blonde braids on each side of her head jiggling as she did so. It was quite obvious that she was still getting used to life in the village, even after five years.

"There is no need for that, my dear sister."

The blonde girl stood straight and was about to speak when a certain voice called out from the next room.

"When is Feather-Head gonna get here~? I'm starving~!"

"Inu-Yasha~!"

"...I don't think it's a very good idea to mention food right now."

Kuja grinned, finding that tiny conversation amusing, and made his way into the bedroom, where Kagome, Inu-Yasha, and Zidane sat almost smushed across from the bunkbed.

"I heard your little remark, He-Who-Had-His-Head-Rubbed."

Inu-Yasha lay his dog-like ears back, remembering the dreadful game of Tetra Master earlier that month, and almost cringed.

"Y'heard, huh~? Well, i'll say it again, Feather-Head~!"

"Um, guys-"

"Oh, c'mon, Inu-Yasha. Having your head rubbed isn't all that bad."

"Zidane put his goddamned elbows on my head~!"

Kagome would have Sit-Boyed her partner if she weren't afraid of him crashing through the black mage's hard work of wood and nails.

The silver-haired Genome, who had been watching the little arguement, noticed some movement coming from the beds, and turned to see three other Genomes, two having to share a bed, the other on the top bunk, all three looking as if they had had a hard time getting to sleep.

"...What has happened~?"

Kagome grabbed her white-haired mate's ear to stop his grumbling as Mikoto appeared in the doorway.

"This is why I sent you all letters through Moogles. One Genome" - She pointed to one in the bottom bunk - "Started to feel ill yesterday afternoon, and later that night, another one had to lay down. More have been complaining of feeling sick ever since."

Zidane stood up, nodding once at his sister, and when he spoke, his voice was tinged with worry.

"It was a good thing we where still in the Outer Continent when we received the letter."

"Has there been any news of a virus throughout the continent~?"

Kuja asked, twice as more disturbed then he was before he had arrived.

His sister shook her head.

"No, I don't think so. We're beginning to run out of room..."

Kagome, who had been taking this all in rather well, stood up.

"Maybe Tantalus can build you a big hut for the sick~?"

Zidane, a member of the group of thieves and actors, took a little bit of time to think about this.

"Good thinking. The guys and the Newbie have been pretty bored lately."

Elsewhere, inside the theatre airship named after the 'Prima Vista', Kouga, the black-haired wolf-demon, leaned back in one of the chairs with his arms crossed behind his head, red bandana hanging loosely from around his neck.

"Hey, Newbie~! Wake up~!"

Cinna hollered as he swung the door open.

Kouga opened one eye lazily, focusing on the short, fat man who resembled a cross between a black mage and a chef at the doorway.

"What~?"

"The Boss says Zidane wants us to help the black mage guys, so lets get movin'. Oh yeah, and you look hysterical still in those furs with that bandana."

With that, Cinna took off, snickering as he went.

The wolf-demon only blinked once.

"I wouldn't talk if I were him..."

He then yawned, stretching out his stiff legs, and got up before the Boss got angry.

Mikoto and Inu-Yasha stood watching as the Tantalus group had already begun building the large hut in the area beside the village graveyard.

"Hey~! I said _give _me that hammer, not _throw _it at me~!"

Marcus yelled at Cinna, and, with a sudden forgiving, goofy thought, raised his fist at his fellow member in mock-anger.

Cinna laughed at Marcus's silly expression, and continued work.

"I wonder how long it's going to take to build the hut~?"

Mikoto asked, tail twitching in anticipation.

Inu-Yasha's white ears twitched as well, for a completely different reason.

"I dunno, but I don't like the smell in this village... Smells like death."

And, no sooner had he said it, Inu-Yasha took off back into the village, as if he no longer wanted to speak of it.

Mikoto stared at him until he disappeared behind a black mage head-shaped hut, and, with curiousity, looked up at the sky, which was partially blocked by swaying leaves on branches.

"I wonder..."


	6. Where the Sky is High

DISCLAIMER: Same~

Chapter Five~

A black mage, a tad smaller then all the others, made his way to the village inn to check on the other Genomes.

Vivi Orunitia stopped in his tracks when he saw the tall, silver-haired man almost glowing in the soft sunlight in front of him, also heading towards the inn, white hakama billowing slightly in the wind.

"K-kuja~?"

The silver-haired man turned, managing to hear the small voice, and smiled warmly.

"Good day, Vivi."

Vivi nodded, though his eyes glowed with confusion, and went up to Kuja's side.

"What b-brings you here~?"

"The Genomes."

Kuja answered, voice darkened with concern.

The young black mage clasped his gloved hands together, something he had done whenever in thought, and his eyes brightened.

"Did Iifa come with you~? M-my children really enjoyed having her over here..."

Kuja's expression changed from worried to almost hurt, and closed his eyes, starting to walk to the inn again.

"Kuja~? Are you okay~?"

"...They're not here, Vivi."

"'They'~?"

The tall man stopped just before the inn.

"Kikyou and Iifa... Are gone."

Kuja entered the inn, shutting the door behind him, and the little mage could've sworn he heard the Genome sob.

He stood there, starting to feel confused all over again.

"'Gone'~? He didn't break up with Kikyou, did he~? Or are they...~? Oh, no..."

Vivi looked up, and continued to go on to the inn.

He came in to find Kuja staring pensively out the small window, leaning on the wall next to it.

"What's wrong~?"

Kuja answered, though he did not look away.

"...For some reason, I feel compelled to look at the sky whenever I think of Iifa and Kikyou."

"Does it make you feel better~?"

The tall Genome nodded, four feathers bobbing up and down with this motion, and assumed Vivi already knew of what had become of his wife and daughter.

"I saw Mikoto looking up at the sky a little while ago."

Kuja turned to look at Vivi, and the tear-stains on both sides of his face glistened in the sunlight.

"Really~?"

It was the black mage's turn to nod.

The Genome then turned back around, almost as if he wheren't interested. 

Though he was.

Vivi stood there for a minute or two, feeling as if he should continue on and keep his former master's mind off his deceased loved ones, and unclasped his hands.

"Garnet u-used to sing when she felt sad."

"Really~?"

"Mm-hmm. She was really good, too."

"I know... I used to stop and listen to her whenever I came to Alexandria castle."

Vivi felt a small sense of victory as he watched Kuja's armored shoulders relax a bit, as if talking to the little mage lifted a great weight off them.

More was about to be said when the door creaked open and Mikoto entered, and was glad that she didn't have to look all over the village for Vivi and Kuja.

"The hut has been built. It is time to move the Genomes."

The black mage's oval-shaped, glowing eyes seemed to grow wider.

"Wow... That was quick~!"

Vivi felt a taller figure step up beside him.

"It's rather comical, if you think about it."

Vivi looked up to see Kuja, who was grinning, though the pain in his eyes never left.

Mikoto stood in front of the new hut thoughtfully, resting her hands from laying the smaller Genomes into beds, piles of nice, clean and warm blankets, and beds of hay.

Another one of the younger Genomes, still no taller then Vivi was once, came up beside her, and looked like he wanted to say something when he then gritted his teeth and fell on his knees.

"Hey~!"

Mikoto shouted in suprise, not thinking and got down on own knees beside the youngster.

She was glad she had shouted, for Kouga suddenly appeared by the Genome's side.

"Another one, huh~?"

Mikoto nodded, a feeling of dread worming into her heart, and watched on as Kouga carried the little Genome inside.

Zidane, Kuja, Vivi, and Inu-Yasha, who made himself comfortable in a nearby tree, came up to take a look at the hut when Mikoto stood up and turned to them.

"You don't look very suprised."

Zidane stated, his tail twitching nervously, his expression suggesting that was not all he wanted to say.

"It is daily."

"I see... Hey, uh, Sis'..."

"Hm~?"

"Do you think you, Kuja, and I are all gonna get sick, too~?"

His younger sister shook her head. She already knew what to tell them, and everyone else.

"We are not going to be effected."

Up in the tree, Inu-Yasha, who had woken up at an ungodly hour this morning and wanted to get to sleep, twitched his ears in interested.

"...We aren't~?"

"Correct. We have souls, thus, we have enough energy."

Kuja raised a thin, silver eyebrow, looking agitated, though he was actually very curious.

"What are you trying to say~?"

"Did Garland ever teach you of Clone~?"

Mikoto asked very plainly.

Kuja's heart nearly leaped at this, thinking he would never hear the name of his own former master again.

"...He mentioned the name 'Clone' once, but he never taught me anything about it."

His younger sister nodded, and continued.

"Clone was once a part of Terra, built by the Guardians as an experiment soon after the Decline. I know not how, or why, but it was blown off the planet soon after it's construction. Garland had said that the stronger souls of both Gaia and Terra were attracted to the blue light it mimics, hence the name, but he said it would not interfere with the assimilation... But now..."

"I get it... That's why the assimilation never took place."

Zidane mused. He had always wondered why nothing had happened after the Iifa Tree's self-destruction.

Mikoto nodded once more.

"Precisely. And, even if it did, it would have been a failure. The Genomes need the souls to survive, or else they'll reach their expiration date."

Kuja, who had looked away but still listened, felt a small pang in his heart. It was like the past was repeating itself.

"_I was to have a limit on my life, too_."

His thoughts where interupted by the sound of something landing on the ground.

Inu-Yasha stood up straight and stretched, and then leaned against the tree to rest his tired body.

"Why don't we just go up and destroy it~?"

"We won't know until we get there, but how do we get there and back~?"

"It is simple. The portal to Clone can be found deep in Oeilvert. It was hidden to keep intruders out."

"Jeeze, Sis', you sure do know alot about this."

Mikoto smiled a bit.

"I studied constantly during my short time on Terra. Garland taught me quite a bit, too."

"Um... W-will I be able to use my magic in Oeilvert~?"

Vivi finally spoke up, incredibly nervous about having to go through an area with a magic barrier, as would any mage.

"I'm afraid not, unless there is a way to break the barrier."

Kuja then looked, discomforting thoughts still lingering in the back of his mind, and felt the natural fear of a magic barrier welling up, for he was both white mage and black mage.

"I'm sure there is a source."

Zidane nodded, though he said nothing, and his tail noticeably twitched.

"Yeah... Let's get movein'. ...But, first, we need to pick up a few people."


End file.
